


Should I even try?

by ImaLazyLizard



Series: Destino [2]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angry Zane, Angst, Echo is mentioned, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jay is a freshman, Jay is a tiny boy, No Romance, Zane is a foster kid, Zane is a sophmore, but its not the main focus of the story, friendships, highschool, how Zane and Jay became friends, innocent Jay, strangers to bffs, this is backstory - Freeform, zangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25567255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaLazyLizard/pseuds/ImaLazyLizard
Summary: Zane has moved once again. New city, new school, and maybe a new friend?(This is backstory for how Zane and Jay met and became friends. Since I couldn't put it how I wanted in the main story, I decided to do it as a side story.)
Series: Destino [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852336
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky
> 
> [Plz forgive the cringe, this is my first angst]

Zane always forgot how it hurt to leave people. 

They pulled him out of school, out of his home, out of his life. Once again they couldn’t keep him, because they had to focus on someone who needed more help. He’d understand, because it’ll help someone doing a little worse than him, someone who needed a little bit more help than him. He’d be able to make new friends, new experiences are just around the corner, and he could always get in touch with them. 

Just the little white lies they always told you, hoping that you could move on.

But what's new? Old relationships always slip away as contact becomes less and less frequent. Zane’s given up on staying in touch with anyone after he moves long ago, what’s the point? The friendship always dies, there’s always someone else to talk to, there’s always a new person who could fill the slot he left. That’s just how it worked. Better to cut it off now, then to let it bleed and hurt later.

They really had to screw him over this time though. He had it a bit too good, figured it out a bit too quickly; doing well in school, made friends, and he was happy, he belonged. 

Life just had to screw him one more time, and dump him into the school year two months late. Zane was a sophomore, he was too months late. He was screwed. Everyone else already had their new friends in their groups, if he tried to slot in now he’d be that third wheel. The awkward friend, the friend you only hang with in a group where you could lose them, or when everyone else said they couldn’t go. 

Zane walked down the hall, looking for maybe a chance to normalize the year. Looking for the group he always fell into, the nerds. They were niche enough, he was smart enough, they were both awkward enough. He’d fit in there like he did with every other nerd group.

He arrived outside the robotics club, looking in through the glass he could see that they were in full swing. And they all looked close, they were a small club of five or six, all crowded around a table. They looked to be having fun. And he could see it; him standing to the side, too nervous and out of place to say anything. Just in the corner as the others continued with their activities, or awkwardly clinging to the first person who introduced themselves. Wondering what to say, and never saying anything, being in the group but not a part of it. He didn’t want to do that again, he hated the song and dance he had to do again and again without the music, stumbling and hoping that maybe he would get a few good friends and not be alone in the crowd.

Zane turned on his heel, he was done. He didn’t need any friends, didn’t want any. He’d coast the last three years, find his brother, move away, and never see this side of the country again.

“Are you lost?” Came a curious tone from the doorway.

He froze.“...Um....Yeah….. but I’m leaving.” Zane didn’t turn to the voice, he didn’t see why. Leave that stupid club behind, better to not risk than try and face the inevitable. He started to walk away. But a jerk on the back of his hoodie stopped him. “If you’re lost Mr. Borg can probably point ya in the right direction.” 

Zane turned to look at the voice, surprised to see who appeared to be a small kid. He didn’t even look like a freshman, he looked like a middle schooler. Either he was one of those kid geniuses or he just hasn’t hit puberty yet.

“Do you wanna come in? Mr. Borg knows the whole school, and he’s super nice!” He was smiling huge, he was trying too hard to seem nice. “Where were you trying to go? If you were looking for the robotics club, you found it.” Again he’s smiling too wide, staying quiet, patiently waiting.

He sees what the kid is waiting for, waiting for Zane to respond, to move. “...I-I... know where I’m going...” He always sucked at lying, but the kid just rolls with it, and pulls on his hoodie to try and lead him into the class. “How about you come in, just for a second? We have cookies!” The boy asked, giving him such a pleading look, he knew he was cute and was using it for his killing blow.

Zane gave out a sigh, “...fine…” He murmured as he allowed the kid to drag him into the classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to warn you that I'm writing this at 3:30 in the mourning, so If this makes no sense I apologize. Please enjoy :)

The kid dragged him in, and no one noticed. No one but the teacher, he was in a wheelchair and was very well dressed.

“Hello, I’m Mr. Borg,” He was smiling, smiling too wide, “I had a counselor tell me that a new student was interested in joining our club. Are you Zane Julien?” He sat there patently holding his gaze with his arms in his lap. 

Zane could tell that he was being too kind, and too soft. The counselor probably told him his story, was it even his story at this point? He never told it yet everyone knew it. Talking behind his back, for the information of how to deal with him without bothering to deal with him. 

Zane glared back at the teacher, and just gave a short nod. Stuffing his hands into his hoodie, not breaking the eye contact. The teacher blinks and continues on, “You arrived a little late today, we’re about half-way through our club time. Would you like to join a group or stay here with me?” 

Zane didn’t want to stay with him, he’d try to get him to talk or relate with him. Zane didn’t want to talk, he was too caught up in his anger to be his usual self. The self that was shy but not mute, but he’s mute now. Zane doesn’t want to say anything, you can’t take words back, and he sucks at being straight forward when his thoughts are jumping when he’s mad. Better to say nothing, he won't regret that.

Zane motions towards one of the groups, looking away from the teacher. The kid perks up, “You can join my group! I’m sure Greg and Pixal would like you!” He was basically shaking with excitement. “Would you like to join!” And once again he looked at him with those puppy dog eyes. Why was this kid so excited?

Zane shrugged, and followed the kid to the table where two other kids were sitting. “Guys, say hello to our newest member of team lightning!”

One guy in all black scoffed, “We did not agree on the name team lighting.” The kid was wearing black and red, and just screamed emo and daddy issues.

The other girl wearing purple added in, “We can discuss the name later.” She turned to look at Zane, “Call me Pixal, this is Greg,” She motioned to the emo, “and it looks like you already know Jay.” She smiled, but not too much. And the emo was existing, he looked to not care about much outside of the notebook he was fiddling with.

“Zane.” He said as he sat down at the simple square table where he had a side to himself, and tried to not look too mad. He wasn’t mad at these kids, he didn’t see a reason to give them a reason to think he did.

The girl and the kid immediately jumped into conversation, while the emo jumped in every once and awhile. Zane tried to keep up, but they were clearly continuing a conversation from before, so it was all lost on Zane. He started to drift, thinking about how everything was back at the last place. He was in a coding club, so robotics wasn’t out there for him to fall into. But he was used to putting together little things like apps or websites, not making big multi-layer programs that he suspected a complicated robot would need. But he probably wouldn’t need to worry that much, coding was coding, and it was a high school club, probably nothing too complicated.

“Okay so either team Echo, or team Dragon. Which do you like, Zane?” Zane blinked when he heard echo, and jerked when he heard his name. The three were looking at him, looking for his answer. Zane leaned back in his chair, “Echo sounds ok…” 

That was too perfect, too coincidental, but no one knew that name so he knew he was being paranoid. Besides how could he choose any different with that name. And with the name decided, the club was done. As he walked out he noticed the kid was behind him,

“Um, Zane?” He asked, grabbing his hoodie.

Zane turned to look at the kid, waiting for him to continue.

“I realized that I offered you cookies but then I never showed you where they were. But I didn’t forget before you left!” The kid looked triumphant as he held up two of those circular store bought cookies with fluorescent frosting.

Zane wasn't expecting that, he took a whole second remembering that the kid did offer him cookies. The kid just held the cookies out to him, and when Zane didn’t move, he just grabbed his hand and put the two cookies in them.

“See ya next week!” he shouted as he ran to the pick up loop and jumped into a rusty old van.

Zane just stared as he walked to his old bicycle he chained to the school gate. He put the cookies into his hoodie pocket as he started his way back to the house.


End file.
